It took a little extra time with the scale for the champion, but we have a fight (ESPN, 9 PM EST).

We already had an event.

Somewhere between 40-50,000-plus fans will head to Marvel Stadium in Melbourne for the homecoming of an unexpected lightweight king. The saga that got George Kambosos to the title, from mandatory to Triller bid to postponements ad infinitum.

All of it was supposed to be just an extended journey to an inevitable conclusion. Teofimo Lopez, fresh off a pair of career-making wins over Ricard Commey and Vasyl Lomachenko, was a prohibitive favorite for a reason.

Right?

The world got a reminder that odds never tell us who is going to win. They’re right more often than not but they exist to entice gamblers. Those who bet on Kambosos saw the challenger drop Lopez in the first and survive a knockdown in the tenth on their way to the pay window.

As is often the case when unexpected champions are crowned, the wait to see which of the perceived superior talents in the class would get first crack was on. The man who got the shot, the man willing to travel, the man with a WBC belt by way of “franchising” to get around any potential derailing of Top Rank’s intended goal of Lomachenko-Lopez, is Devin Haney. Haney was one the men stuck with the expectation of being part of a new “Fab Four” along with Lopez, Ryan Garcia, and Gervonta Davis. 

Haney has a chance to drive the lightweight division through him if he can go onto hostile turf and come home with a whole lot of hardware.    

Let’s get into it. 

Stats and Stakes

George Kambosos Jr. 

Age: 28

Titles: Lineal/TBRB/Ring/WBA/WBC Franchise/IBF/WBO Lightweight (2021-Present, 1st Defense)

Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’9 ½  

Weight: 134 ½ lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Las Vegas, Nevada

Record: 20-0, 10 KO

Record in Major Title Fights: 1-0

Last Five Opponents: 102-16-2 (.858)

Notable Outcomes, Ring/TBRB Rated Foes: Teofimo Lopez SD12

Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: Mickey Bey SD10; Lee Selby SD12 

Vs.

Devin Haney 

Age: 23

Title/Previous Titles: None*

Height: 5’8  

Weight: 135 lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Las Vegas, Nevada

Record: 27-0, 15 KO

Press Rankings: #3 (Ring), #4 (TBRB, ESPN, BoxRec)

Record in Major Title Fights: N/A (5-0, 1 KO including interim and other WBC title fights)

Last Five Opponents: 132-9-1 (.933)

Notable Outcomes, Ring/TBRB Rated Foes: Jorge Linares UD12; Joseph Diaz UD12

Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: Yuriorkis Gamboa UD12

*Holds WBC secondary belt at lightweight

The Pick: If nothing else, this weekend will sort out the mess the WBC has contributed to in the title scene. Initially, the franchise belts were announced as something outside their primary title scene but it’s become evident through mixed public signals that it is no different than the WBA “super” designations. It appears to be an out valve to avoid another Graciano Rocchigiani situation, protecting relationships with preferred champions who can’t be forced into particular mandatories.

The winner this weekend will be the lightweight champion of the world, period. None of this should matter anymore by Sunday 

Kambosos struggling on the scale will raise some eyebrows but he wasn’t over by much and made weight fine on the second attempt. Considering the time allotted to rehydrate, it shouldn’t impact the outcome. 

Kambosos showed some assets in the Lopez win that could factor for him against Haney. He’s a smart counter puncher, able to whip his left into tight spaces during exchanges. Kambosos also remembers to go to the body. Against Lopez, he was hurt late but took multiple hard shots in the fight and made it through. Kambosos has a solid beard and guts. Fighting in front of a crowd sure to roar for everything he does, those are all things that could matter if Kambosos keeps rounds close.

Unlike Lopez, Haney isn’t likely to come out looking for the knockout. Haney is a patient fighter who can come forward or work off the back foot. He has a few inches in arm length on Kambosos and an excellent jab. The length could mitigate Kambosos countering opportunities and create chances for Haney to counter Kambosos when he comes in instead. Haney should have the edge in speed meaning if he gets into rhythm, he could quiet the crowd for long stretches.

There are still question marks with Haney. There can be some Chad Dawson to his game. He’s got all the skills but Haney can also seem to go to sleep for stretches, letting opponents have moments before he snaps back into form. Lulls can be costly on the road, especially if Kambosos can keep other rounds close where Haney is locked in. Haney needs twelve rounds of A-game for this one.

We also still don’t know as much about his chin as time will tell. Against Linares, Haney was hurt late by a big shot. Linares is a better puncher than Kambosos but it’s not the getting hurt that was interesting. It was the staying hurt. Haney seemed to fight in a fog for several minutes. Any fighter can be hurt. Fighters who struggle to recuperate quickly can find rough going as the competition improves. That was just one night so it’s hard to read too much into it but it’s worth noting.

Ultimately, Kambosos hasn’t consistently been a devastating puncher and he’s never really faced someone with the talent and approach Haney has. The longer, quicker, more cerebral fighter is going to be hard to win seven rounds against. The pick is Haney by decision in a fight with some moments of drama but more moments of sustained control from the eventual winner.    

Rold Picks 2022: 24-6

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com